Can you tell me the meaning of “Abakar,” an Islamic boy from Darfur, Sudan?

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Ref no: 0054#

Date: Tuesday, 29th March, 2011

Category

Miscellaneous

Title

Can you tell me the meaning of “Abakar,” an Islamic boy from Darfur, Sudan?

Question

Can you tell me the meaning of “Abakar,” an Islamic boy from Darfur, Sudan?

Answer

Muhtaram / Muhtaramah

In the Name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāh wa-barakātuh.

Abakar is not a name. However Abu Bakr is a commendable name.

P.S: Listed hereunder are few pertinent advices regarding the naming of a child.

Did you ever ponder why Shariah places so much importance on keeping good names, names of the prophet’sعلى نبينا و عليهم الصلوة و السلام and the pious?

It is the nature of man to be affected by what he sees, hear and speak. It is for this very reason that many companies place so much importance on advertisements. When the consumer sees the advert over and over again, he ultimately accepts what is been offered to him and buys the product.

It is also for this reason (man being affected by what he hears) that Nabi صلى الله عليه و سلم prohibited from referring to the Maghrib salah with the word Easha. Imam Bukhari رحمه الله narrates on the authority of Abdullah Al-Muzani رضى الله عنه that Nabi صلى الله عليه و سلم said:

“Most certainly a time will dawn upon my ummah when they the will begin to consume liquor giving it a different name” (Abu Dawood 163 H.M. Saeed)

Imagine if an intoxicant is named as a pure drink or healthy drink. That will appeal even to those who abhor intoxicants.

The following may also be significant in understanding the impact of a name. It is common in politics that when there is a change in the regime or political party, the new regime changes names of cities, towns and streets to names of people that represent their philosophy and ideology. For example, in South Africa, the airports, Louis Botha and Jan Smuts have been change to International Airport and O.R. Thambo respectively, Pretoria is changed to Tshwane, Stanger is changed to Kwa-Duguza etc.

In the background of what has been stated above, the name of a person also has an impact on the life and personality of a person.

Imam Bukhari رحمه الله mentions that once a person came to Nabi صلى الله عليه وسلم. Nabi صلى الله عليه وسلمasked him his name. He replied Hazn (meaning hard natured). Nabi صلى الله عليه وسلم advised him to change his name to Sahl (meaning soft natured). The person replied that he does not want to change the name his parent’s had given him. The narrator of this hadeeth Sa’eed, who happens to be the grandson of Hazn says our family was always hard natured.

Names also indicate the identity of a person. At times it also denotes the religion of the person. Muslims in communist Russia (formerly U.S.S.R.) could not openly accept Islam. That led to a generation being deprived of Islamic education. However, Muslims kept up to basic Islamic beliefs. They ensured that they gave their children Muslim names. Thus 50 years later, that generation was ignorant of many aspects of Deen and Islam. However, they identified with practising Muslims by virtue of their names and remembering the practise of Deen and Islam from their elders.

It is clear from this narration that the custom of abbreviating (to concise) names for example abbreviating Abdur Rahman to Rahman or Abdul Quddoos to Quddoos is not permissible and it is not permissible to call anyone with such an abbreviated name.

And Allah knows best Darul Iftaa

Madrasah Inaa’miyya

·The Sharée ruling herein given is specifically based on the question posed and should be read in conjunction with the question.

·The Darul Ifta bears no responsibility to any party who may or may not act on this answer. The Darul Ifta being hereby exempted from loss or damage howsoever caused.

·This answer may not be used as evidence in any Court of Law without prior written consent of the Darul Ifta.

I own two lands and wish to distribute them amongst my children, grandchildren in my life. How should I do with the partition?

Bukhari & Jalsa

17th Bukhari Shareef Khatm and 24th Annual Jalsa took place at the Madrasah Facilities. on Monday 24th Dec 2018 after Maghrib, the Kahtm e-Bukhari took place.
On the following day, the students' programme and the completion of Hifz and Qiraat took place as well in the presence of our honourable guests: HADHRAT SALEEM DHORAT SAHEB (Senior Ustaad of Hadith, Leicester (U.K) & HADHRAT MUFTI EBRAHIM SALEJEE SAHEB (principal of Madrasah Ta'leemuddeen, Isipingo beach....................................................................................................We supplicate to Almighty Allah Ta’ala that He accepts our humble effort in the propagation of His Deen, grant us sincerity, determination and courage to continue serving His Deen in a manner that is pleasing to Him until we breathe our last, Ameen.